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I have an issue with some 3rd party software on Windows 10 which I believe was triggered by a change from 21H2 to 22H2. As such I want to install a 21H2 VM and perform some tests.

When doing searches on the internet for downloading previous versions of Windows 10 ISO files, Rufus kept popping up as the go to solution for doing this. But after downloading the latest version (4.1) of it yesterday, the only Windows 10 ISO that it seemed to offer is 22H2, and no prior versions were listed:

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Am I missing something about previous versions of windows 10? Or does Rufus now not have access to those ISO files? And if not Rufus, what are my options aside from buying a Microsoft Developer Network subscription?

I also noted that for the other versions of Windows that Rufus mentions (11 and 8.1), it also only mentions the latest version.

And finally, I do have a physical Windows 10 version 1803 DVD which I used to create a VM, but it seems the only choice you have for upgrading is to 22H2.

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    "Rufus kept popping up as the go to solution for doing this", can you link to examples that say so? Rufus might be the solution "to create a boot USB from an ISO of an older version of Windows", but I don't recall it being able to download old versions withing the program (it fetches those from Microsoft, and Microsoft doesn't have then officially available)
    – Yisroel Tech
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 14:03
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    See if this helps. Microsoft is taking away older versions. ..... learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/69685/…
    – anon
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 14:03
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    @YisroelTech Here is the very first google link for downloading Win 10 ISO using Rufus. Look at Point #15 How to download older ISO versions of Windows 10 There are many many other websites that show similar information
    – Peter M
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 14:13
  • This might also be helpful.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 14:15
  • @John I did see that yesterday, but not knowing where/how Rufus pulls the ISO files, I wasn't sure how relevant it was. EG in another question of mine I asked about MS supplied Win 10 VM appliances. They used to offer those, but now they don't. Yet someone here dug up a link for for me to download one.
    – Peter M
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 14:17

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Rufus doesn't have their own hosting for those ISO downloads, they always pull it from the official releases download links. Since Microsoft recently decided to remove their official download links for past versions of Windows, Rufus also doesn't have them anymore.

The best way to download now an ISO for Windows 10 21H2 would be to find somewhere online that has the ISO to download (there are links for it all over) and once downloaded verify the file hash that it's indeed the untouched ISO of Windows 10 21H2.

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    I just downloaded and spun up a VM from that link. Thanks.
    – Peter M
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 15:55
  • Since Microsoft did NOT update the 21H2 to address the security vulnerability, you should not expect that ISO to be usable, after Microsoft fully deploys and unsign the key that signed the vulnerable boot loader contained within the ISO
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 21:27
  • @Ramhound, you're referring to a specific vulnerability, which one? (He anyhow needs it only to "perform some tests" inside VM, so I wouldn't be concerned at all.)
    – Yisroel Tech
    Commented Jun 21, 2023 at 21:34
  • @YisroelTech - It's CVE-2023-24932
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 22, 2023 at 0:09
  • Come on, the attacker needs to already be logged in to the PC with administrative rights (or have physical access) to exploit this. Should this really be such a grave concern (even not, but especially when, it's just for some tests inside a VM!)
    – Yisroel Tech
    Commented Jun 22, 2023 at 1:10

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